𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄

𝙰 𝚃𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙹𝚘𝚋 𝙸𝚜 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝙱𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐

It wasn't her intention to find herself back at the school in the first place. All she did was make a clone and made it run out of the front gate for all to see.

Now Tenten was outside, squatting on the wall with her chakra infused feet implanting themselves near the window that overlooked the hallway where the teacher's lounge was located, eavesdropping on a particular exchange of words that would send two of her own students on a wild goose chase.

When the boys ran out of sight, the woman decided to jump into the hallway and confront the grinning younger man.

"I knew that you wouldn't go far," Konohamuru smirks as he rubs his chin.

"Yet you've set up those poor boys to get into trouble by going downtown to sneak into a bar," she sighed before pinching the younger male's nose. "For the Third Hokage’s grandson, I thought you would be a lot smarter."

He smiles fondly at her as she crosses her arms.

"Well, just because I'm his grandson doesn't mean I can't pull a prank or two. Besides, once they fail to find you, they'll learn how to factcheck before going off to do something stupid."

"Is that your way of punishing Lord Seventh's kid?"

Konohamuru's eye twitches as smile goes wider. "Trust me. He's getting off easy this time. "

Tenten raised her eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Let's just say that I had to step in at the higher office to pull some strings...at a low cost."

She shook her head. "Do you always have to do that?"

"Hey, at least I'm not hiding from my own students."

"Even great ninjas can hide in plain sight," she half-smiled. "This is to test their intel perception skills."

"And they both failed, huh?"

"Pretty much," she says, leaning on the wall. "At least that makes things easier for me. I don't have to worry about attendance at all. Now if you would excuse me," she said, walking away with her hands on her elbows.

"Don't stray too far!"

Tenten made her way back to the classroom, her sandals clicking softly against the tiled floors of the academy. The once bustling hallways were now quiet, the absence of students allowing her thoughts to echo louder than she'd like. She paused just outside the classroom door, pressing her palm against the wood as if gathering courage to step inside. Before she could, a familiar voice called out to her.

"Tenten," Shino's calm, measured tone cut through the silence, causing her to glance back over her shoulder. He stood at the end of the hallway, his signature glasses catching the light. "May I have a moment?"

Shino Aburame was as tall as ever with his gray coat reaching his knees. Forehead protector directly above his black round sunglasses and surprisingly enough, no mask to cover his thin lips. She had hardly had the chance to see him around. He was evermore the mysterious man he was, only hearing that he got hired as an interrogation specialist the other month or so.

She hesitated but eventually nodded, letting the door swing shut as she turned to face him. Shino approached with his hands tucked into his coat pockets, his posture as reserved as ever.

"You’ve been hard on yourself," he started, his voice carrying a weight of understanding that surprised her. "More than you need to be."

Tenten crossed her arms defensively. "I’m fine, Shino. Just adjusting, that’s all."

Shino tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable beneath his glasses. "Lying only gets you killed."

“Is that what you say to all the criminals at the police station?”

"I don’t need to,” he said in a low voice as a centipede appeared from beneath his forehead protector and scarries down his face and into the collar of his coat. “The results speak for themselves, although I can't say the same for you and your shop.”

Tenten grimaced. He was still the creep old Shino she knew alright.

She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “Insects don't pay the bills. My weapon shop…my legacy. Now it’s just—" She gestured vaguely, words failing her. "Another failure."

Shino took a step closer, lowering his voice. “That's not true.”

“I wouldn't care if it succeeded either.”

That caught her off guard. She blinked at him, processing the statement.

He shook his head. "What matters is that your resolve doesn't waver. Do this for yourself.”

“I'm doing this for myself! I'm certainly leagues ahead of you in that department,” she let out a smirk. “I'm not the only one with a failed business. How's your insectarium?”

Shino pulled his head back. He wasn't expecting to be called out in such a manner. “Touché. Although I do recall getting more visitors than you at one point in time. If you give up now, Neji will be disappointed in you.”

“What?” Her face turned downward as she clenched her fists.

“Sorry,” he replied, studying her angry face. “I sense that I may have misspoke,” he paused.

“No, it's not that,” she tried to reassure him. Tenten looked down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. "It’s just... I feel like I’ve lost my edge. Like I’m not the same kunoichi I used to be."

Shino pulled his hand out of his coat and placed it on her shoulder. “We all aren't the same ninjas we used to be.” His voice is gentle and soft. “It's not a crime to be a little rustic. All we need is a little more refinement.”

She glanced up at him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Since when did you become so good at pep talks?"

Shino let out a quiet chuckle. "It’s part of the job description. You’ll get there."

Before she could respond, the faint sound of commotion echoed from the direction of the school grounds. Tenten sighed, her smile turning wry. "Looks like I’ve got to go wrangle some kids.”

He nodded. "Anytime."

With that, Tenten straightened her shoulders and pushed open the classroom door, stepping back into her new reality. She might not have all the answers yet, but for the first time in a while, she felt like she was moving in the right direction.